FREE
FASHION SHOWS -- Paris
is the fashion capital of the
world and Galeries
Lafayette offers
a free fashion show every Friday
at 15H00. It lasts 30 minutes
and the commentary is in English
with great music too. Visit
this website to learn more and
reserve your seats. Click
here.

TAKE
A COOKING CLASS -- If
you are going to visit Paris
— or any other destination
known for its food and wine
— you should definitely
take a cooking
class. Go online
and search for "cooking
class in Paris" and there
are a wide variety of alternatives.
It is a great opportunity to
learn about the French style
of cooking and to gather some
recipes that you can bring home
and practice on friends and
family. This is the best keepsake
when traveling abroad! And since
France is so renowned for its
wines, ladies visiting Paris
should also try to find a wine
tasting class where they can
learn about wines, champagne,
etc.

VISIT
A SALON DE THÉ -- While
in Paris, spend a blissful hour
or two at one of the 'Salons
de Thé'
of venerable tea purveyors Mariage
Frères. Select from a
vast array of teas, each of
which is carefully steeped to
absolute perfection in strict
observance of correct water
temperatures and steeping times.
To accompany your tea, choose
a delicious luncheon or one
of the delectable concoctions
temptingly displayed on the
dessert cart. The highly skilled
wait staff will assist you in
finding the tea best suited
to balance the flavors of your
selection. Mariage Frères
is recognized worldwide for
having elevated drinking tea
to an art. Address: 13, rue
des Grands-Augustins, Paris,
France. Visit: www.mariagefreres.com

ANTIQUES
IN THE TOWN OF PEZENAS -- Got
some room in your suitcase for
a few antiques? Check out the
charming town of Pezenas,
in the Languedoc (southeast
of Montpellier). There are a
multitude of intriguing antique
shops on the south side of town,
with prices MUCH more reasonable
than you'll find in well-known
Isle sur la Sorgue, or Paris.
The town is well worth a visit
too, with beautiful Renaissance
architecture and enticing arty
boutiques.

SMALL
2-STAR HOTEL IN PARIS -- Looking
for an inexpensive and comfortable
spot in Paris? The terrifically
well located Hotel
Andrea Rivoli is
walking distance from the RER
to the airports, close to Pompidou
Center, Hotel de Ville, and
Marais, plus it overlooks a
quiet little street beside Rue
de Rivoli. The staff are welcoming
and friendly, and a single air
conditioned room with private
bath is under 90 euros!

LEARN
ALL ABOUT CHAMPAGNE -- The
Champagne region of France,
in particular the charming village
of Epernay, is mostly famous
for the champagne cellars of
Moet & Chandon, among others,
where you can learn all about
the “methode champenoise”.
This is the most famous champagne
house, makers of Dom Perignon
– enjoyed by many American
historical figures such as Thomas
Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.
Tours of the cellar are organized
where you can enjoy a taste
of their famous “Brut
Imperial”. And there's
no finer way to enjoy the Epernay
region, than to spend a night
or two at the charming and elegant
L’Hostellerie
La Briqueterie
where you will be pampered in
their champagne spa. The cuisine
is a senses’ celebration
where the chef and his team
will be happy to please all
your expectations. Visit Chateau
de Chantilly and
enjoy the beauties of its great
park, be sure to have lunch
at the famous Le Hammeau Restaurant
where “Créme Chantilly”
was invented.

Bonus!
No cost to visit a cemetery...

Père
Lachaise is one of the most
famous cemeteries in the world.
Located in the 20th arrondissement,
it's reputed to be the world's
most-visited cemetery, attracting
hundreds of thousands of visitors
annually to the graves of those
who have enhanced French life
over the past 200 years. Many
well-known women whose names
you might recognize are buried
here.

Collette
-- A French novelist best known
for her novel Gigi (upon which
the stage and film musical comedies
by Lerner & Loewe, of the
same title, were based).Isadora
Duncan -- Was an American dancer.
She is considered by many to
be the creator of modern dance.
Simone
Signoret -- Was an Academy-award
winning French actress.Édith
Piaf -- was a French singer
and cultural iconGertrude
Stein -- was an American writer
who spent most of her life in
France.

No
trip to Paris would be complete
without a sightseeing cruise
on the Seine. My favorite
ride is from the smaller,
more intimate Vedettes
du Pont Neuf.
If you are a budget traveler
you can save up to 4€
per ticket by booking online!
Take some time before or after
your cruise to explore the
beautiful park, Square du
Vert Galant and have a glass
of wine at the Taverne Henri
IV, just across the street
from the Henri IV statue on
the Pont Neuf.